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What Marketing Therapy is, need your help!" That's how this thing I call, Follis Marketing Therapy started. The caller was struggling with her small business and, like many small business owners, she was much better at doing what she did, than marketing it. She was anxious about my helping her. Though sympathetic, I didn't know what to say. I was working long hours trying to manage my own business -- a successful Madison Ave ad agency -- and wasn't interested in one-on-one consulting. It wasn't worth my time. But she was relentless: "I heard you speak, I've seen your work, I think you're brilliant, can you please help me?" The woman was begging. Still hesitant, I promised to think about it and, the next day, presented her with a rate I suspected she couldn't afford. I was wrong. She was grateful that I was willing to help and excited about meeting. Like most business owners she was very emotionally wrapped up with her business. As I patiently listened to her it was clear that there was a strong connection between her marketing and personal perspectives. I could see how her own fears, judgements, and marketing misperceptions where negatively impacting her business. Consequently, I felt like part marketing expert, part therapist. Some years ago I received training as a phone crisis hot-line volunteer helping distressed callers get to the root of their problem. That training, I realized, came in extremely handy with Aileen. And, after a few highly productive sessions, we arrived at some cost-effective, creative marketing solutions that got her business back on track. She was grateful and "Follis Marketing Therapy" was born. 
The Challenges of Marketing a Smaller Business.
Marketing is a challenge for any business, but especially smaller ones. With limited funds there's little room for error. Also, the ever-changing marketing landscape can be highly confusing. For the typical small business owner, deciphering and effectively utilizing the best options can be overwhelming. A truly effective marketing effort is an art that takes a blend of knowledge, experience and talent. Besides the limited funds issue, business owners face the added challenge of being emotionally enmeshed with their business. My experience with Aileen made that clear. Things about her business and marketing that were obvious to me were an eye-opening revelation to her -- which reinforces a very important fact: Any marketing decision made with a lack of objectivity, and lack of expertise, can be a recipe for disaster. And an uneducated, myopic marketing decision can ravage both a company's finances and their image. I've seen it happen many times. The good news is that a business owner doesn't need to try to become a marketing expert. Like Aileen, they just need to know they need help. That's also what Steve Jobs realized back in 1976 when he cofounded Apple. Long before he became known as the marketing genius behind Apple, Steve Jobs hired Regis McKenna, a marketing expert and adman who did all the early marketing and advertising for Apple that helped it become the iconic brand it is today. No Wonder Anyone Running a Business Needs Therapy. Considering the many marketing challenges facing small businesses owners, it's no wonder they often feel like a deer-in-the-headlights when it comes to marketing. It's also why so many of them opt for one of two bad options: 1) They put all their effort into selling and little into marketing. Or... 2) They do no marketing and pray for word-of-mouth. Now, with FMT, there's a third option. |